He Shall Be Called

Isaiah 9:1-7

Wonderful Counselor

What does it mean that He is a wonderful counselor?

Wonderful: something miraculous or amazing

This is nothing ordinary

It is extraordinary and supernatural

Counselor- denotes wise advice or wise decisions

He will be one full of out-of-this-world wisdom

One wiser than Solomon

1 Kings 4:29-34- Bible

Solomon’s wisdom was amazing

But the promised One would be wonderfully wise

He will not fail like Solomon, but will wield amazing, astounding, endless wisdom

Wisdom unlike the world has ever seen

1 Corinthians 1:20-24- Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach[b] to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Colossians 2:3- in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Will you trust that His Word and Works are always good and wise?

All that He has said is perfect

All that He has commanded is good

All that He has willed in wise

Almighty God

God alone is the Almighty

Deuteronomy 10:17- For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.

Psalm 24:8- Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!

He will not merely be a man

He will be the God Man

1 Timothy 3:16- Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

John 1:14- And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

He is the Lord of lords and King of kings

Revelation 19:11-16- Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Will you live in humble obedience to Him?

Will we desire to live in happy submission to His commands and instruction?

Or will we say that we will, but only live in obedience when we feel it to be convenient or desirable?

He came to bring to Himself a people who will delight in following His ways

Everlasting Father

He will never end

Isaiah 40:28- Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

He is the eternal creator, and so is the Son

John 1:1-3- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

His care for His people will never end

Psalm 103:13-18- As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.

Will you rest in His care for you?

Do you trust that what He is doing in your life is loving toward you?

Do you become upset or angry when things don’t go the way you hoped?

Prince of Peace

He will bring peace to those at war

Sinful men are enemies of God

But Christ came into the world to give peace with God

Romans 5:8-11- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

He will establish perfect peace forever

Verse 7

A somber reality in Christmas

Peace is for a specific group

Luke 2:12-14- For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Peace among those with whom God is pleased

With whom is God pleased?

Hebrews 11:6- And without faith it is impossible to please God,..

Therefore, the rest will not receive peace from the Prince of Peace

Natural men hate the Light of the World

John 3:18-19- Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Natural reject the Peace-Giver

Many will perish in their sins at enmity with God

Are you at peace with God through Christ?

Apart from faith in Jesus, Christmas is not for peace but for judgment

Will you ask Him to increase the peace of your soul this Christmas?

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Last week we came to Isaiah 9 and looked at backdrop behind which Christmas shines brightly. The hope of Israel is foretold. A child and a son. He will break through the darkness and shine as a bright light in the midst of the darkness of Israel’s sinful rebellion. This morning we come back to Isaiah 9 to focus on the names of this promised One in verse 6.

Wonderful Counselor

Name one: Wonderful Counselor. But what does it mean that He is a wonderful counselor? Wonderful means that this is something miraculous or amazing. This is nothing ordinary, it’s not mundane, its not what you would expect. It is extraordinary, or even supernatural. Counselor is pretty self-explanitory. It denotes wise advice, wise decisions, or even commands. So what do these two words, in one name, mean for who this promised One will be? He will be one full of out-of-this-world wisdom. To understand this, we ought to rewind to the hight of wisdom in the Bible. Solomon is the writer of much of the wisdom literature in the Bible and is said to be the wisest man in Bible becasue God granted His supernatural wisdom.

Solomon’s wisdom was amazing just as we see in 1 Kings 4:29-34- And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom. But the problem is that Solomon would rule well only for a time and then he would fail by making rebellious unwise decisions. That is why the Wonderful Councelor is such good news. But the promised One would be wonderfully wise in every way. He will be wiser than Solomon and His wisdom will not fall short or suffer from a poor lapse in wisdom.

Wisdom unlike the world has ever seen, and as we arrive at the New Trstament we begin to get clarity about this Wonderful Counselor. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:20-24- Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. And then again in Colossians 2:3: in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We see all of the Wisdom of God manifest in the person of Jesus Christ. The amazing thing, according to Paul, is that many will look on Him and only see foolishness. The truth could not be farther from the truth.

So the question must be asked of us: will we trust that His Word and Works are always good and wise? That all that He has said is perfect, that all that He has commanded is good, and that all that He has willed in wise. The wonderful truths of Christmas, of th Savior come to earth, and of the Wonderful Counselor must not simply be something that we think about but something that we live in light of. It literally changes the way we see the world and live in it. So, will you trust Jesus as the Wonderful Counselor?

O Lord, help us to trust you in what You have said. Help us to trust that you Know all things and are endlessly wise. Help us to see the world around us through the lens of Your wise Word and may we continually have our lives and hearts adjusted to the wisdom of what You have revealed to be true. Amen.

Almighty God

The second name for the promised One is Almighty God. Remember a few weeks ago when we talked about the importance of the Trinity even in Christmas? Well, here it is again front-and-center. Why? Because this promised One is called Almighty God, and there is only One to whom that title is given- Yahweh. So, He is a promised King to the world and yet He is God. The Old Testament is abundantly clear: God alone is the Almighty. Moses writes, in Deuteronomy 10:17, For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. Also, David says, in Psalm 24:8, Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! God alone is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He alone is the Almighty God. He alone is the King of glory, and He will remain the One and Only forever.

So, that Isaiah tells us that this future child called Almighty God reveals that He will not merely be a man. He will be the God Man as we see in 1 Timothy 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. He has been made manifest to us and we have seen His glory just as John says in John 1:14, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. He is the Son of God who has come into the World and put on flesh, but who reigns supreme for all eternity. He is the Lord of lords and King of kings, and we know this because John tells us in Revelation 19:11-16: Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

So we are left with the question: will we live in humble obedience to Him? Will we desire to live in happy submission to His commands and instruction? Or will we say that we will, but only live in obedience when we feel it to be convenient or desirable? Jesus did not merely come into the world to redeem a people unto Himself. He came also to bring to Himself a people who will delight in following His ways. He desires that we not only believe in His name but also walk in the commands that He has given to us. And He does not only desire that we walk in His commands but that we would delight in Him as we delight in being obedient to Him. So, brothers and sisters, will you resolve with me this Christmas to be obedient to He who came into the world? And will you resolve with me delight in the commands that He has given?

O Lord, help us to be obedient and submissive to you. Help us to take seriously that you are not only our Savior but our Lord and King. And I pray that You will help us to deeply delight in you as we do this by Your grace. Amen.

Everlasting Father

The third name in this list of names is Everlasting Father. If the Divinity of this child was not clear enough in the last name, this underlines it with clarity and firmness. We know what everlasting means, don’t we? Isaiah is telling us that He will never end. This is similar to what He says about God in Isaiah 40:28: Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. The Lord our God is the everlasting God who has created all things. But don’t we also see this of the Son fo God in John 1:1-3? He says: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. I’m not sure that the connections could be made any more strongly in the Bible as we see its unity and cohesiveness.

He isn’t, however, only called Everlasting. He is called Everlasting Father. What is it that we are to see about Him, because the name is indicative of something which is true about who He is. What is it that a Father is supposed to do? Well, one of the things that he is called to do is care for His children. I think that this name is telling us just that. He will care for His children and His care for them will never end. Listen to what the Psalmist says in Psalm 103:13-18- As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. He shows compassion to us because He knows us. He knows that we are dust and that we depend on His grace and mercy for all of life and godliness. He is the God loves His people with an everlasting love. This is the heart of the son for us. He loves us and cares for us as a father cares for his children. In fact, isn’t this the entire point of Christmas? Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), and in this God shows His love for us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

So, what will you do with it? Will you rest in His care for you? Do you trust that what He is doing in your life is loving toward you? Do you become upset or angry when things don’t go the way you hoped?

O Lord, you have told us that you love us. You proved it by sending your own Son to died for our sins and bring us to yourself. And if you did the hardest thing possible- the handing over of your Son, then how much more will you, through Him, care for us? Help us to rest in your care for us and may you rid us of the anxiety that so quickly grips our hearts. We admit that the problem is in us and I pray that you will give us hearts to believe the heights and depth and breadth of your love and care for us who are yours. Amen.

Prince of Peace

This brings us to the fourth and final name in this list of verse 6. He will be called Prince of Peace. Wow. I have to say that right now as I personally am working through this passage and sought for it to permeate my heart and mind, this name from Isaiah 9:6 has been most encouraging and perhaps the most challenging to me. There are a few reasons for that this is so. First, He will bring peace to those at war. What do I mean by that? I mean that sinful men are enemies of God and are at war with Him. One of the many problems with the man-centered way that the Gospel is presented in our day is not only that it misses the centrality of God, but it also downplays the sinful rebellion of the human heart. We will not love what God did in sending His Son as fully as we ought if we do not understand who He was sent for. Rebels. God-haters. Sin-lovers. But Christ came into the world to give peace with God. I already mentioned dRomans 5:8, but let me read Romans 5:8-11: but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Jesus came into the world to died for His enemies that He might bring them to God. I think that this ought to do at least two primary things in our hearts. It ought to give us a deeper and deeper love for Christ in all that He has done for us and all that He promises to be for us. Also, we ought to be made into the most humble of people. We were no more worthy of grace than any other. We were just as much of an enemy of God as the rest of sinful men. But God broke through our God-hating hearts and saved us. And so we ought to pray to this end for our enemies. May God bring them to Himself through faith in Christ!

This is not the only thing that Prince of Peace means abotu Him. He will not only bring us to peace with God through His blood, but He will also establish perfect peace forever. We see this in verse 7: Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end… We will one day enjoy endless perfect peace becasue the Prince of Peace will establish His Kingom in fulness.

I want to point out something here. There is a somber reality in Christmas. How, you might ask, is there a somber note in the Savior coming to earth? Well, I want to read Luke 2:12-14 for you to see it: For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Did you catch it? There is a specific group of people to whom this peace is given. It is among those with whom God is pleased. But with whom is God pleased? Hebrews 11:6 says: And without faith it is impossible to please God,.. It is those with faith in God through Christ Jesus who are included, because peace is onl given to those with whom God is pleased and it is impossible to please God without faith. Therefore, the rest will not receive peace from the Prince of Peace.

Natural men hate the Light of the World and do not believe, and the wrath of God remains on them. John 3:18-19 says- Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. Natural men reject the Peace-Giver and will perish in their sins still at enmity with God. For those who trust in Christ and who love Him in faith, for them will will be boundless and perfect peace. However, for those who do not believe, they receive only wrath in Christmas because they have rejected the Savior who came into the world to save sinners.

So, the question must be asked: are you at peace with God through Christ? Apart from faith in Jesus, Christmas is not for peace but judgment. For those of you who have received peace with God through faith, will you ask Him to increase the peace of your soul this Christmas?

O Lord, you are worthy of all praise and glory forever. You are the God of peace and Jesus Christ, your Son, is the Prince of Peace. I pray that we will know the peace of God which surpasses all understanding today. Help us to set our eyes on you this Christmas, knowing that you will come again to establish perfect peace on the earth forever. Amen.